Chapter 21: Just You Wait, We’ll Show You!

The Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup (Bosnian Cup) is an unrestricted tournament.It's initiated and directly managed by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Federation and, in theory, open to clubs from all tiers of the league system. As a second-division team, Mostar Wanderers naturally qualified to register for the competition. Due to the unique and unrestricted format of the Bosnian Cup, they were drawn in the first round against a top-tier team from the Premier League: Zrinjski Mostar. Zrinjski Mostar is a major club in Bosnia, not only fielding a football team but also operating basketball and handball divisions. Nonetheless, the football club is undeniably the main attraction. Compared to their glory days in the 1950s, Zrinjski Mostar suffered some setbacks during the turbulent years following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. Since the establishment of the Bosnian Premier League, they've constantly played second fiddle to clubs from Sarajevo. So far, the league is in its sixth season, and Zrinjski's best finish has been runner-up. They've yet to win a league title. In the 2001/2002 season, they appointed Dutch coach Fanja Van Stuyack, who brought a brand-new tactical philosophy to the team. Van Stuyack is a strong advocate of the Dutch "Total Football" philosophy. To implement his vision, he made several tactical overhauls and squad changes at Zrinjski, building the team around Croatian prodigy Luka Modrić, aiming to craft a squad capable of winning titles. But while dreams are beautiful, reality bites. Van Stuyack's tactics didn't take off smoothly at Zrinjski. Right from the start, he encountered repeated failures. In fact, last season they recorded their worst-ever finish, ending fifth in the league. This was arguably the worst season in the club's history. Many fans were dissatisfied, but the club still backed Van Stuyack's approach, believing it was just one season and that the coach needed more time. Zrinjski's management clearly had patience, which gave Van Stuyack some breathing room. Even so, Van Stuyack still felt the pressure mounting. Match Day – Bosnian Cup The venue was Zrinjski Stadium, home of Zrinjski Mostar. Compared to the Pasture Stadium, this place was a major upgrade. There were stands for fans and the pitch wasn't riddled with holes or cow-torn grass patches. Of course, the pitch here wasn't great by top European standards, but for players like Suk and his teammates, this was already miles better. "This is the first round of the Bosnian Cup—Zrinjski Mostar facing off against their second-tier city rivals, Mostar Wanderers. This match also marks the beginning of a new season. Last season..." The commentator's voice rang out from the stadium's speakers. Fans were chanting in sync, and songs echoed through the air. The well-organized Zrinjski fans stood in sharp contrast to the ragtag bunch supporting the Wanderers. Suke thought the Wanderers' fans looked completely clueless, eyes wide and aimless—utterly embarrassing. And it wasn't just the fans—many of the Wanderers' players looked lost too. The noise, the cheers—it was all too much. They were clearly overwhelmed, even intimidated. Several players had their socks on backward, nervously sweating bullets. Nearby, cameras zoomed in, capturing their awkward smiles and twitchy hand gestures. No one seemed to know where to put their hands. "Ridiculous!" Suke muttered, shaking his head. Their mental toughness was clearly lacking—if this rattled them, how could they hope to play in the top league? In contrast, the bald goalkeeper Bakic was calm and composed. He quietly put on his goalkeeper jersey and gloves, then clenched his fists. "Suke, take a few shots at me—I need to warm up!" Suke jumped to his feet, and the two headed out onto the field. He took two warm-up shots—light and lacking real power. Bakic saved them with ease. "Harder," he said, throwing the ball back. "Give me something to dive for!" Suke adjusted his position and increased his power, shooting toward the left. Bakic stepped across, planted his feet, and launched himself into a picture-perfect diving save, plucking the ball out of the air. "Nice one!" Suke couldn't help but shout. Since the victory over Leotar, Bakic had been in excellent form—rarely fumbling and frequently making spectacular saves. Bakic was clearly pleased with himself. This moment helped boost the confidence of the Wanderers' players. Just then, Zrinjski's players began their warm-up routine. WOAH!!!!!!! The stadium erupted with cheers. The Zrinjski squad lined up and went through their warm-up drills with military precision. Uniform kits, strong builds, confident expressions—it all radiated a powerful presence. And these were just the substitutes. That's right—Zrinjski didn't want to waste their first-team players on this match. The starters were getting a rest. The club was fielding an all-substitute lineup. Yet even this substitute lineup was a major challenge for the Wanderers. From Zrinjski's bench, Suke spotted Luka Modrić. The two exchanged a subtle nod. Beside Modrić sat a tall man with light brown curly hair and a prominent nose—a 190 cm striker named Kosović, Zrinjski's top scorer. Only a few first-team players were on the matchday roster. The rest were backups. Zrinjski clearly believed they could win with reserves alone. That's the confidence of a top-flight team. After all, there's a huge quality gap between Premier League and First Division teams—let alone second division ones. Granted, due to league restructuring, Mostar Wanderers had technically been promoted to the First Division—but their strength still mirrored that of a second-tier side. Zrinjski didn't think for a second they'd lose. Starting Lineups: Zrinjski Mostar (4-3-3):GK: PakovićDefenders: Sterk, Moliać, Pokać, RovisetićMidfield: Banja Fačić, Periać, BartonForwards: Boame, Bastolov, Ben Mays Mostar Wanderers (4-5-1):GK: BakicDefenders: Kotić, Rotensmaći, Kobaro, RosenMidfield: Vitorić, Bastet, Mlinar, Kostoreći, MasločićForward: Suk "Zrinjski are fielding a complete reserve team. Coach Van Stuyack clearly doesn't consider this match worth much attention." "This is the first time Mostar Wanderers have appeared on our radar. They're a very aggressive second-turned-first division team. Their top scorer is Suke—a 16-year-old striker who shares a similar name with Croatian legend Davor Suker. But... at just 150 cm tall?" The commentator's doubt was audible. And the crowd picked up on it too. More and more fans turned their attention to the little figure of Suke—amazed by how short he looked. Even in Bosnia's leagues, where Modrić's slender frame stood out, Suke looked like a child. "Damn it! It's 155 cm—I've grown!" Suke shouted furiously toward the press box. Of course, his voice didn't carry. Grumbling, he turned away. Zrinjski's starters also cast curious glances at the mini-striker. Clearly, they were shocked to see such a tiny center forward. On the sideline, Van Stuyack also looked at Suke with recognition. He recalled their brief encounter at the bar, when the bold youngster pitched himself as a player. It had been amusing—but forgettable. Now, seeing Suke again, his interest was piqued. He was curious how this unconventional player would perform on the pitch. After the coin toss, the teams lined up in their halves. Zrinjski kicked off. Coach Orippe shouted instructions furiously, stressing tight defense. Before the game, Oripe had learned that Zrinjski would field reserves and crafted his tactics accordingly—painstakingly studying their limited footage and analyzing player traits. He had clearly done his homework, giving Wanderers valuable insights. In contrast, Zrinjski knew almost nothing about the Wanderers. That was obvious from their lack of focus—barely even glancing at Suk and his teammates. The cold stares left Suke and the others fuming. "Just you wait—we'll show you what we've got!" Suke swore to himself. The ref stepped away from midfield—and Zrinjski kicked off. The match began. Suke immediately dashed forward, diving toward the ball. Zrinjski's players didn't even flinch—one player alone couldn't disrupt their passing. They moved the ball comfortably as Suke chased it down, harrying them. His teammates fell back, defending deep. Soon, Zrinjski began pushing down the wings.